Lightweight at only 12kg – easy to carry by yourself
Sit-on-top style – easy to get in and out of, no cockpit to tuck your legs into
Drop-stitch floor gives you excellent rigidity
Stable and easy to paddle for beginners, dogs, kids
Compatible with the ePropulsion Vaquita Propeller
Quick and simple set up
If you are planning anything more than an hour or so of paddling, you will need a better performing kayak – check out the AdvancedFrame Sport Elite for a lightweight kayak that is faster and less wind affected.
If you want to be able to put on a spray skirt to stay warm and dry, consider the AdvancedFrame Elite or the AdvancedFrame Expedition Elite kayak.
If you are taller than 6’2″ (or you are in that range and have long legs), you will need the extra leg room in the AdvancedFrame Expedition Elite kayak
If you are going to be doing a LOT of fishing and want rod holders, check out our fishing kayaks
If you are doing whitewater above class 2, the StraitEdge kayak can do up to class 3 rapids and is self-bailing
5 minutes from in-the-bag to on-the-water!
Let’s be clear – the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is NOT a pool toy! It’s a puncture-resistant inflatable kayak that won’t let you down.
The floor is constructed of super-tough drop-stitch.
The side tubes are made of Military Grade PVC construction.
The Hi-back Kayak seat is made with thermo-formed Padding & Corrosion Resistance Brass swivel buckles.
The D-rings are made from stainless steel and there is a hard plastic bow and stern.
FAQs – Air Glide Hybrid 285 lnflatable Kayak
Dimensions
Length: 2.85m (9’4″)
Width: 85cm
Height: 35cm
Internal Width: 47cm
Kayak Weight: 12 kg
Kayak + Pump + Paddle : 18.5 kg
Deflated and Packed Dimensions: 96cm x 55cm x 44cm
Paddler Suitability
Maximum Capacity: 180 kg
Recommended Max. Paddler Weight: 110 kg
Recommended Max. Paddler Height: 6’2″ (1.87m)
Suitabilty
Lakes, Bays and Inland Waterways
Coastal / Open WaterReservoirs (Complies with ISO 6185-1)Rivers up to Class I WhitewaterDogs (small to medium)Fishing (no rod holders)BeginnersTaking small kids Self-bailing (has a bung hole at the stern)
Accessory Compatibility
RapidUp Sail Spray Skirt Rudder Kit ePropulsion Vaquita Propeller – via SUP fin box Railblaza Starport Rod Holder with Railblaza Starport Adhesive Mount
Materials
Hull and Side Tubes: Military Grade PVC
Floor: Drop-stitch
D-Rings: Stainless-Steel
Seat: Thermo-formed Padding & Corrosion Resistance Brass swivel buckles
More About This Kayak
Set-up Time: 5 minutes
Pack Away Time: 6 minutes
Warranty: 3 years
SKU: AIRGLIDEHYBRID285
Deluxe Comfort Seat
4-Piece Kayak Paddle
Padded Footrest
Fin
All-Terrain Wheeled Roller Backpack
Repair Kit
Double Action Hand Pump with Gauge
Original price was: $1,579.00.$1,279.00Current price is: $1,279.00.
Stored at Sydney location, ships in 2-6 business days.
Qualifies for 90-day “Try it on the Water” Returns
3-year warranty
Free Shipping
Can NOT be shipped to New Zealand
Availability: In stock
Package Deal
Explore more
Lightweight
Lightweight at only 12kg – easy to set up and carry by yourself.
Sit-on-top style
Easy to get in and out of, no cockpit to tuck your legs into.
The open cockpit is great for kids and dogs.
Drop-stitch Floor
Drop-stitch floor gives you excellent rigidity – no sagging in the middle.
Stable
Stable and easy to paddle for beginners, dogs, kids.
Easy to get in and out of.
Compatible with Vaquita
Compatible with the ePropulsion Vaquita Propeller, via the SUP fin box on the hull.
Quick Set-up
Quick and simple set up – 5 minutes from in the bag to on the water.
Durable and Reliable
The side tubes are made of Military Grade PVC construction – tough, durable construction can withstand time after time inflation, deflation and all-round adventures.
Hi-back kayak seat for superior comfort and support.
Made with Thermo-formed Padding & Corrosion Resistance Brass swivel buckles
The D-rings are made from stainless steel.
Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak FAQs
Performance
It’s not a rocket, and being a short kayak, there is quite a bit of waggle as you paddle.
Having said that, the high-pressure drop-stitch floor (included) gives you excellent rigidity, so you glide through the water at a reasonable speed.
It’s a short kayak, so it’s a little waggly to paddle.
There is a detachable fin which helps a lot, and the bow has a nice shape, so it cuts through chop fairly well, but there’s still noticable waggle.
The wind affect is moderate on the Air Glide Hybrid 285.
The waterline is not as long as our AdvancedFrame range, but the side tubes are not huge, so it’s somewhere in the middle.
Comfort
The seat (included) has a very high back.
The optional foot brace (included) adds to your comfort by supporting your lower back as you paddle.
The seat (included) has a very high back.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak comes with a removable foot brace for lower back support as you are paddling.
What is the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak good for?
Yes, if they are not massive.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is not huge, but it has an open sit-on-top style, so there might be enough space for both of you, depending on the size of the dog (and you).
The drop-stitch floor inside the kayak is super tough, you do not need any reinforcement.
The wide flat hull means the kayak is very stable so you won’t all go over board if your dog gets excited and makes a sudden move (not that they ever do that …).
Yes.
The wide flat hull means the kayak is very stable so you can focus on fishing and relaxing.
The military-grade PVC tubes and the drop-stitch floor are extremely durable, giving you the confidence that neither fish nor fishing gear will cause a puncture.
The Railblaza Adhesive Starport Mount can be stuck onto the drop-stitch floor, so you can use the awesome Railblaza Rod Holder II.
Optional kayak anchor if the fish are biting and you want to stay where you are.
Optional accessory frame if you want to attach additional rod holders, an EPERB, a fish finder, go-pro etc.
You can even put on a propeller – the ePropulsion Vaquita.
Yes.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is good for taking kids, as long as they are still small.
It’s super-stable, so the kids can have a nap and muck around without tipping it over.
The kayak is not huge inside, but it has the open sit-on-top style, so there’s likely to be enough room for both of you.
Yes, it’s a very good choice for a tender.
It’s got the high-pressure drop-stitch floor which makes it easy to step into and out of.
The open sit-on-top style also makes it easy to step in and out of.
It’s not our biggest kayak, but there is still quite a bit capacity (180kg) for gear if you are using it to transport your stuff to and from shore.
**Caution – do not leave the kayak inflated on the deck of the boat. The heat will cause the pressure to rise and you could damage the kayak.
NOTE – The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is NOT recommended for open ocean because it is not self-bailing, but ultimately, it’s up to you to judge the conditions.
1-2 hours.
It’s not really fast enough for longer trips, you will get frustrated.
No, because it is a sit-on-top kayak but it is not self-bailing (but it has a bung hole at the stern), so if you get swamped by waves, you will be full of water.
Also, it is a little too wind affected and waggly to be effective in open water.
No, because it is not self bailing.
Who is the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak good for?
Yes, definitely fine for beginners.
The key feature for beginners is stability and the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is wonderfully stable, so no dramas there.
At 12kgs it’s light enough for most people to lift.
The sit-on-top style makes it easy for people to get in and out.
In my experience, seniors are looking for a lightweight kayak, and at 12kg, the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is very lightweight.
The other key features for seniors are stability and ease of getting in and out – the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak ticks both of these boxes.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is suitable for a child to paddle because it is lightweight and easy to paddle.
The only issue might be that they might be too short to reach the foot rest.
Yes, very!
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is an open deck sit-on-top style. You can basically fall in and out of this kayak, there is no cockpit.
Probably – we haven’t tested it with somebody really tall yet, but it is reasonably long internally and you can adjust the seat straps to bring the seat closer to the front of the kayak, or further back in the cockpit to give you more leg room.
The maximum capacity is 180kgs according to the manufacturer.
We haven’t yet tested this kayak on the higher weight ranges, but I feel the drop-stitch floor will give it good rigidity up to around 110kg.
About the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak
The main hull material used is military-grade PVC and it is super thick and tough.
The floor is drop-stitch, also extremely tough:
In the extremely rare case that you damage the hull, the kayak comes with a repair kit, so you can put on a patch.
It’s a sit-on-top kayak, but note that it is NOT self-bailing (has a bung hole at the stern for draining when you get to shore).
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is a solo kayak.
Taking a small child with you is totally viable.
Deflated and packed dimensions are:
86cm x 48cm x 28cm
The weight of everything, including paddle, pump and bag is 18.5kg.
At 12 kg (18.5 kg with the included accessories), the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is lightweight compared to a hard-shell kayak, but not our lightest kayak.
Most people can carry it down to the water by themselves.
But if you are not feeling strong, it might be better to check out the AdvancedFrame Ultralite kayak, which is only 8kg.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 has a detachable fin that uses a SUP fin box.
You can use the fin box to attach the Vaquita propeller.
Yes, the ePropulsion Vaquita can be used with the SUP fin-box connection.
- Drop-Stitch Floor – excellent rigidity
- Military Grade PVC construction
- Ultra lightweight – just 12kgs
- Super compact & portable – comes with oversized roller backpack
- Stable Design
The side tubes are military-grade PVC.
The floor is high quality drop-stitch.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak is manufacted by Bay Sports in China.
Learn more about Bay Sports.
How to use the Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak
My strong recommendation is that you take a look at the setup video:
It should take you around 5 minutes, once you have got the hang of it.
It’s about 5 minutes, once you have got the hang of it.
You just take off the valve covers and set the valves to deflate. Then just walk away for a few minutes and it’s done.
You can use the deflate function of the pump if you want to, but I have never found this to be necessary.
The pack away takes about 6 minutes.
Pull out the fin, the seat and the foot brace, open the bung hole at the stern to drain the kayak, wipe down the inside of the kayak with a towel.
Fold the kayak up and put everything in the bag.
What to buy
- 1 x Deluxe Comfort Seat
- 1 x 4-Piece Kayak Paddle
- 1 x Foam Footrest
- 1 x fin
- 1 x All-Terrain Wheeled Roller Backpack
- 1 x Repair Kit
- 1 x Double Action Hand Pump with Gauge
You need to purchase a life jacket at a minimum.
You can also purchase a paddle leash so you don’t lose your paddle!
We also recommend a dry bag for keeping your gear dry.
Check out our Fishing Gear section if you want to do some kayak fishing.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak comes with a 4-Piece Kayak Paddle. It’s heavy, rattly and a little bit short for getting over the side tubes.
If you want a longer, lighter paddle, check out our range of featherable, collapsible kayak paddles.
The Air Glide Hybrid 285 Inflatable Kayak comes with a Double Action Hand Pump
If you want to speed up the process, I recommend the Flextail Max Pump 2 Pro.
Note that the Flextail pump just fills the kayak with air, you still have to top-off the pressure with the double action hand pump, however it sure speeds up the process.
General Information
Bay Sports come with a 3-year warranty on all kayaks. You can find details of this warranty here.
But if you have any issues after that period, still get in touch as we carry some spare parts and may be able to help out.
Our 90-day “Try it on the Water” Guarantee means that if the kayak is not what you expected, you have 90 days after delivery to return the kayak for a FULL refund.
Shipping is free for orders over $169 and $9 flat rate for orders under $169.
If the product is in stock, it will ship from our Sydney warehouse within 2-6 business days of ordering.
If you have a deadline, please get in touch and we’ll check if it’s going to make it in time.
For more shipping questions, check out https://ozinflatablekayaks.com.au/shipping/
Experience our kayaks through real customers, talk to an owner.
